"Melissa, please stay safe! Don't get hurt or lose consciousness! I beg you! Please!"
Running with all his might, Morgan kept praying silently, his face filled with panic and fear.
Melissa was the only family he had left. Both of their parents had died in the mining area of Sector B two years ago.
Since then, he had been working to support himself and his only younger sister.
After running for five minutes, he finally reached the dilapidated apartment building where they lived.
The building was shabby and dirty, with no fence around it. The front lobby was dark and in complete disarray.
No one was in sight, as if the place had been abandoned.
In truth, about twenty families still lived there.
The rent was cheap, making it suitable for people who couldn't afford proper housing.
Morgan went inside and ran up the seemingly endless stairs.
When he reached the third floor, he turned toward the row of doors and stopped at the very end.
A sign with the number 150 hung in front of the door. This was where he and Melissa lived.
Morgan reached out to open the doorknob, but his hand froze in midair.
"God, I beg you… save my sister. Don't let her get hurt," he prayed desperately in his heart.
He couldn't imagine living alone in this world without his sister.
After strengthening his resolve, he turned the knob, only to find that it was unlocked.
A sense of dread grew stronger, and his body trembled violently, as if hundreds of ants were crawling across his back.
Nevertheless, he pushed open the door and was met with a dark living room.
Morgan's face turned pale again as cold sweat dripped from his forehead and neck.
"M-Melissa? Are you in there? Why didn't you turn on the lights at night? Haven't I warned you many times?" Morgan called out in a trembling voice.
He stepped inside, closed the door, and walked forward with heavy steps.
The living room was spotless. All the furniture was neatly arranged.
Although he and Melissa lived in a slum, that didn't mean they would let their house be as dirty as the outside.
At least inside, they could sleep soundly.
"Melissa? Are you in your room? If so, come here, my dear sister. I brought you your favorite meat sandwich," he called again in a hoarse tone.
Tears welled up in his eyes, but he tried to stay strong, believing that his sister was definitely in her room.
He stopped in front of his sister's room. The apartment they lived in had two rooms—one for him and one for Melissa.
Morgan stared at the pink door in front of him, filled with fear, anxiety, and panic.
Raising his right hand, he knocked softly.
"Melissa, may I come in?"
Creak…
The door suddenly opened by itself, revealing the dark interior of the room.
Morgan's heart pounded so fast that his breathing became irregular.
He pushed it open slowly and stepped inside.
At that instant, the package of bread in his hand fell as he saw something that would traumatize him for the rest of his life.
His younger sister, Melissa Kruger, lay lifeless on her bed, leaving him forever.
"No… this can't be… This must be a lie, right?" Morgan covered his face with both hands.
Feelings of disbelief, sadness, anger, and despair merged and overwhelmed his body.
His head spun, as if the world before him had crumbled to dust.
Morgan looked at his sister once more and forced himself to walk toward her.
He reached out with a trembling hand and touched her head, feeling a cold sensation without a hint of warmth.
It was clear that his younger sister had truly left him.
"Hahaha… Hahaha…" Morgan burst out laughing, covering half of his face with his right palm. "Hahaha… Hahaha…!"
He collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down his face.
"Why… Why did this happen? Why did I have to lose my sister too? Oh gods, why are you making me suffer like this!?" Morgan screamed as he stared blankly at his sister.
His parents were gone, and now his sister was gone too.
From that moment on, he had no one left to share his feelings of sadness or happiness.
He was truly… alone.
...
Boom!
Black lightning flashed across the sky. Soon after, heavy rain poured down.
On a remote hill behind the slum, Morgan stood in a disheveled state.
He wore a dirty white T-shirt smeared with mud.
His wounds were clearly visible, making him look utterly pitiful.
His face, legs, and hair were caked with dirt.
He stared at the grave before him, the tombstone bearing his sister's name: Melissa Kruger.
"Melissa…" he called weakly.
His tears had dried up, and exhaustion weighed heavily on him, leaving him unable to express the depth of his sorrow.
"I'm sorry, Melissa. I failed as your brother. Forgive me…" He lowered his head, his voice trembling. "I promised I would take you to the most expensive hospital in this city. But in the end, I couldn't. Forgive me… truly… forgive me…"
His sister, Melissa, had suffered from a chronic heart condition.
Since childhood, she had been unable to move freely like other people.
She spent most of her time in bed and only went out occasionally to buy food at Grandma Tina's bakery.
Their parents had died from overworking themselves to pay for Melissa's treatment.
They had pushed beyond their physical limits and met a tragic end.
If Melissa had undergone surgery back then, she would have recovered and returned to normal.
Technology had advanced greatly since the Martian invasion hundreds of years ago.
But he had no money. The cost was so enormous that it was impossible for him to afford.
Even so, he believed… he believed that one day he could earn the money for his sister's treatment.
Regrettably, fate had other plans. His sister was taken from him.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled once again across the sky, but Morgan didn't care at all.
He remained where he was, silent, staring blankly at his younger sister's grave.
After more than fifteen minutes, he finally regained his senses and walked toward it.
He crouched down and gently brushed his hand over the gravestone.
"It's okay. Rest in peace. I'll keep living until the end. If I die sooner and meet you and our parents, that would be even better."
Despite his sadness and despair, he couldn't simply give up. He knew Melissa and his parents would want him to live on.
Yet he also understood how impossible that felt. In this world, he was alone.
There was nothing worse than being alone in such a cruel world.
Morgan slowly stood up, took a deep breath, and let it out.
He glanced at the grave one last time before turning away, walking off with weary steps.